Almost ten months after Bangladesh lifted their second Women’s SAFF Championship title, the promised Tk 1.5 crore bonus from the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) remains unpaid.
The issue resurfaced on 23 August 2025 during the federation’s fourth executive committee meeting, held at a resort in Purbachal, where officials again pledged to fulfil their commitments “very soon.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, BFF media committee chairman Amirul Islam Babu said: “Let me be clear: the Bangladesh Football Federation will fully honour the promises made to our women’s players. They are currently participating in Bhutan’s league and have commitments elsewhere. Once they return home, we will sit with them and ensure they receive all the rewards, including those announced by other organisations.”
While Babu could not confirm an exact timeline, he stressed that the matter is being actively discussed in meetings: “These are under discussion, and once the players return, we will settle everything.”
Babu also revealed that BFF has long-term plans for women’s football, although some details remain confidential for now. “Our head coach (Peter James Butler) is currently abroad, but once he and the players are back, we have several plans ready. We have received proposals already discussed in the meeting, which I won’t disclose yet. What I can confirm is that arrangements for two international warm-up matches have been finalised, and details will be announced soon.”
Other key decisions from the meeting
Although the unpaid bonuses were not officially on the agenda, the meeting covered several other areas:
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Men’s national team: Bangladesh will play two friendlies against Nepal in September. The team’s camp is ongoing, but Bashundhara Kings have yet to release their players, sparking criticism on social media. Babu said the matter was not discussed at the meeting but would be addressed soon by the national teams committee.
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Bangladesh Premier League: The points table for the 2024–25 season was approved.
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Women’s football achievements: The executive committee formally congratulated the women’s national team for qualifying for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final round, as well as the U-20 women’s team for reaching the main phase of their respective tournament.
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Youth Festival 2025: Plans to co-host the event, alongside the National Championship, in collaboration with the government were confirmed.
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Futsal development: A training camp for the national futsal team in Malaysia this September was approved, including warm-up matches during the camp.
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Governance: One month was granted to the relevant committee to finalise proposals for amending the BFF constitution.
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Infrastructure: Discussions included a proposal to request land from the government in Cox’s Bazar to build a dedicated football stadium.
Questions were also raised about the financial details of recent international fixtures, including matches against Bhutan and Singapore. Babu assured that all income and expenditure reports would be published after 30 August, the extended deadline for finalising account